It’s been a while since I’ve done a prepping post so I figured I should take a break from Zed’s World long enough to put one together. I stumbled across a Facebook post a few weeks ago that had an image (I don’t remember of what) and a lengthy story attached to it. The story purported to be an interview with a survivor of the Bosnian civil war and his account of survival as a civilian in that situation. I have no idea if the tale was true or not, but it included what I felt were some really good tips. Here’s a summary of the tips this guy offered:

Guns = survival. Gangs operating in the city were much less likely to target homes or buildings where they knew the residents were armed. He also stressed that it was important to have weapons that were not registered with the government because those were confiscated. That’s a word to the wise as we have our own ongoing debate over guns in today’s society. Once z-poc gets started the need for guns is obvious, but when you’ve made it past the initial outbreak, you’re going to be dealing with other survivors in addition to zed. Trust is going to be in short supply, and if you’re not armed it’ll be easy for raiders to take advantage of you.

Barter was king. Not only was having goods people wanted (cigarettes, gold, ammunition, salt, alcohol and coffee) extremely important, but unique knowledge like medical training was as useful as any other product. He had a neighbor who knew how to make kerosene who he said never went hungry; same with the guy who knew how to distill vodka (this is a good item for you home brewers out there). For trading he said:

Never trade at your residence. Always trade in a neutral site and do not let yourself be followed home after the trade.

Never take your whole stash with you, or tell anyone what you have at home.

Always have a lookout watching the trade from a distance (preferably through the scope of a rifle). They can cover you during the trade and watch for people following you when you leave.

Survival by yourself is virtually impossible. He said numbers were key, particularly when the gangs were running rampant. You need enough people to keep a 24×7 watch. The right number will vary based on your location. Maybe all approaches to the site can be watched from one vantage point, or maybe you need 4 people on duty at all times to cover all the streets, alleyways and side-yard access points. However many people you need on duty at once, multiply that by 4 so no one has to spend more than 6 hours on watch. You don’t want your watchmen too fatigued or they’ll miss something vitally important. Having superior numbers to any gangs in the area gives you an element of security, but it also means you need more food and water, so there are trade-offs. It can also mean people will come gunning for you thinking that you have something important, so like the Sand People in Star Wars you should hide your numbers unless it’s absolutely necessary to have a show of force.

Hygiene products – bleach, disinfectant, soap, gloves, etc, were more important than food. In the words of the Bosnian “you can shoot a pigeon to eat, but you can’t manufacture bleach.” He went on to say that after dehydration, gangs and starvation, the next leading killer was infection and disease. This will be even more true during z-poc.

Be unobtrusive – This goes back to concealing your numbers. The fancy houses with the bars on the windows and the signs advertising the security systems were hit first because people assumed they had something of value inside. In z-poc it won’t be good to have all the lights on in the big house with the solar panels; every zed and raider with a line of sight to the place will be headed there in a hurry. Lay low and live to see another day.

These are some things to think about and consider as you continue to refine your plan. Have you already accounted for some or all of these things? What would you add to the list? Sound off in the comments and share with the rest of us!

Until next time, Better Dead Than Zed!!

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